3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli available for pre-order via Nordstrom.com!

Back when we previewed 3.1 Phillip Lim’s Fall 2011 collection, a lot of you guys got excited about the 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Satchel in particular. (Some of you also got a little huffy because you thought it looked like the Celine Luggage Tote, but put a pin in that, we’ll talk about it in a second.) With that in mind, I’m excited to let you know that Nordstrom.com now has the satchel available for pre-order for $895.

Personally, I’m a great fan of the Pashli, and part of that is because it seems like a play on the ever-popular Celine bag. Let’s face it, any brand out there who’s not trying to tap into a little bit of the rabid Celine lust is missing an opportunity from a business perspective, and the canvas of a north-south tote shape offers a lot of opportunities for great accessories design.

The Lim bag plays on some of what makes the Celine design successful – the proportion of the shape, the vertical lines at the sides, the way the gusset peeks out at the sides. But the bag is completely different – the grain of the leather, the zippers instead of piping, the top flop instead of a basically hidden zipper, the obvious hardware, the placement of handles – it’s all different.

This design is exactly what fashion should be; it takes something popular, strips it down to its bare bones, and builds it back up again from scratch. The end result is totally new but still feels relevant, as though someone designed a bag for the cool younger sister of the ideal Celine woman. Pre-order in black or blue for $895 via Nordstrom.

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Share Your Thoughts With Us

alice23

it looks like a bad copy of celine…sad to see designer copy…and the price…unbelievable

pixiestash

I don’t think it looks anything like the Luggage Tote. The flap, the straight vertical lines, the hardware, the pinked edges – everything is different. Celine was not the first designer to make a gusseted leather tote and definitely won’t be the last. I’m not a huge fan of the Pashli (unless the leather turns out to be utterly TDF), but it is classy and respectable and extremely affordable in comparison.

I agree. I don’t really think it’s fair to call it a copy, all the important details are completely different. I was very surprised that so many people had that reaction when we posted it with the collection a couple of months ago. It’s the same shape, but a completely different bag.

Rasheedah

I think it has the “essence” of the Celine luggage tote, but I actually like it a little better due to the more utilitarian look. The Celine luggage tote is pure class, whereas I think this is more urban chic.

Jen

Any structured tote similar in style is not a copy. Now, if I saw the same handle attachment and zipper placement, then yes. Love the hardware that he is using.

Ashleyg

I don’t see Celine at all- I don’t even like the Celine. I see another structured bag that I actually like- well love really. I just think it looks incredibly heavy :/

Amy

I like the look of the bag a lot, but those straps look so short, usefulness-wise. Do you have to carry it in the crook of your arm? Won’t that get extremely heavy?

Amy

My thoughts exactly! I like the option of carrying on my shoulder sometimes – I wish more designers would understand!